A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation aimed at strengthening staffing levels at Urban Indian Organizations by allowing officers in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to be detailed directly to those facilities.
The legislation was introduced by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Catherine Cortez Masto (R-NV). Supporters say the bill would help address chronic staffing shortages at Urban Indian health facilities serving Native patients in cities and metropolitan areas. Sen. Murksowski is chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and Sen. Cortez Masto serves on the committee.
According to the senators, the proposal builds on recent efforts by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently assigned 70 commissioned officers to Indian Health Service facilities to help stabilize workforce needs. Tribal advocates have long pushed for similar authority to directly support Urban Indian Organizations.
“UIOs provide far more than a place for an annual check-up; they deliver culturally grounded care that reflects the needs and values of the communities they serve,” Murkowski said. “All Native people deserve access to quality health care, whether they live in a city or a rural community. Ensuring these facilities are adequately staffed will strengthen health outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native communities nationwide and help fill a critical gap in care.”
Cortez Masto said the legislation would provide additional flexibility to address workforce shortages in Nevada’s Urban Indian health facilities. “Nevada’s Urban Indian health facilities are chronically understaffed,” she said. “Even the best doctors and nurses can’t provide patients with the quality of care that they need if there simply aren’t enough of them. This commonsense fix gives the Department of Health and Human Services the flexibility it needs to ensure that Tribal communities across the Silver State can get the health care they need.”
The proposal also received support from Francys Crevier, chief executive officer of the National Council of Urban Indian Health. “We are grateful to Senators Murkowski, Murray, Tillis, and Cortez Masto for championing this bipartisan effort to allow U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Officers to be detailed directly at urban Indian organizations,” Crevier said. “Due to limited funding, Urban Indian Organizations continue to face significant challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled health care professionals, and detailing Commissioned Officers help them address workforce shortages and increase collaboration across the federal health care system. We urge Congress to pass this legislation swiftly so that Urban Indian Organizations can benefit from this vital workforce support.”
